Rotary engine.



PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

D. F. SMITH.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2a. 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

D. P. SMITH. ROTARY ENGINE. v APPLICATION II LED' NOV.23, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

FIG.3.

FIG-6.

Patented July 5, 1904.

- PATE T OEEIcE.

DANIEL F. SMITH, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

. ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,013, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed November 23,1903. Se al N0- 182,266. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rotary engines of the class in which a piston carried by a revolving drum is made to traverse an annular chamber within the engine-casing and surrounding the drum and in which steam or other motive fluid is admitted to the annular chamber on one side of an abutment and exhausted on the opposite side thereof.

My improvements relate especially to the construction and operation of the abutment and piston in this class of engines; and, briefly stated, my invention consists in providing a piston and abutment with laterallysliding parts which are automatically operated at proper times to allow the piston to pass the abutment and quickly close with the loss of a minimum of power. The arrangement is such that neither the abutment nor piston has a radial movement, the abutment hearing at all times upon the periphery of the drum which carries the piston and the piston bearing at all times upon the inside of the cylinder.

The abutment comprises a frame or casing in which are mounted two gates that are adapted to slide toward and from each other and which when moved apart open a port for the passage of the'piston.

The piston comprises a frame or casing within which is mounted a laterally-sliding gate which opens and closes a port which receives a portion of the abutment as the piston passes the latter. These sliding gates are automatically operated at proper times in the manner hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a rotary engine constructed in accordance with my invention with parts broken away or in section on the line B B of Fig. 2 in order to better illustrate other parts. Fig. 2 shows a horizontal transverse section on the line A A of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the abutment with parts in different positions. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the piston with parts in diflerent positions.

The engine-casing A may be of any suitable construction. As shown, it consists of a base a, formed on an annular upright cylinder (6, which has an offset a containing a radial chamber a" for the abutment. One end of the cylinder is closed by a flat plate (0*, which is bolted to the annular casing a in the manner indicated. The opposite side of the cylinder is closed by a dished or recessed plate (0 The shaft B extends centrally through the cylinder and revolves in bearings b b in the end plates (4* (6 To the shaft within the cylinder is secured a cylindrical drum 0, consisting of a central portion or hub 0, to which are attached annular plates or flanges c 0 The central portion of the hub c is of much less diameter than that of the interior of the cylinder, thus forming an annular chamber D around the drum and within the cylinder, to which steam is admitted at X and from which it is exhausted at Y. The flanges c c extend from the periphery of the central portion or hub c to the inner wall of the portion a of the casing or cylinder, and the steam is admitted to and exhausted from the space between these flanges. The abutment E is shown best in Figs. 3 and 4. It consists of a frame or casing 0 of a general rectangular shape, but which is U-shaped in cross-section, and each branch of this U-shape construction is formed with a large slot or recess 6. Between the branches of the frame are arranged sliding gates c 0 which when close together close the recesses e in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, but which when moved apart in the manner indicated in Fig. 4: open these recesses to permit the passage of a part of the piston in the manner hereinafter described. The casing 0 fits snugly in the recess a and extends across the annular chamber D and bears against the periphery of the hub 0 of the drum. It also fits tightly against the flanges c 0 To each slide is attached a rod E, which extends through packing-glands f in the casing and is adapted to slide laterally in a direction parallel with the axis of the shaft B. Each of these rods F is provided with a series of teeth f at its outer end, which mesh with a spur-wheel g on a shaft g, mounted in bearings on a bracket G, projecting from the casing. To the shaft 9 is attached an arm 71., carrying a pin or roller 72/, which engages the bifurcated end of an oscillating lever I, pivoted to a bracket 1' on the main frame and carrying at the outer end of its shorter arm a roller 71, engaging a cam-groove formed in the periphery of a cam J, attached to the shaft B. The arrangement is such, as is apparent from inspection of Fig. 2, that as the shaft B rotates the slides a a" are moved toward and from each other at regular intervals, and thus open and close the passage Z. (Indicated in Fig. at.) The slides e e are shown as being formed with bosses 6. These are adapted to enter recesses when the slides are moved apart. The hub 00f the drum is formed with a radial recess I: to receive the piston P. This recess is open at the periphery of the drum, but is closed at the sides by the plates 0 0 The piston, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, consists of a frame or casing Q, in which reciprocates a sliding gate R. The frame Q is U-shaped in central longitudinal cross-section, but in plan it is T-shaped. The sliding partR is flat and approximately U-shaped. The lugs 9' r of the slide R are approximately the same width as the stems q of the frame Q, so that when the slide is in the position shown in Fig. 5 the space S between the lugs 0* '1" is closed; but when the slide is in the position shown in Fig. 6 there is a free opening T, which will permit the piston to pass the abutment when the latter has the slides moved apart in the manner before described. To the slide R is attached a rod a, which is adapted to slide in the side plates 0 0 and which carries on its outer end rollers u, that bear on opposite sides of a flange a), formed on a stationary cam V, attached to the side plate 0 and located within the recessed or dished portion of this dished portion. The arrangement is such that during the major portion of the revolution of the drum the cam-flange holds the slide R in its closed position, such as indicated in Fig. 5; but just before the piston reaches the abutment the inclined portion 0) of the camflange causes the slide R to be moved to the position shown in Fig. 6, and thus the piston is made to properly pass the abutment, a portion of the piston, in fact, passing over the abutment, which is open for this purpose in the manner before described.

The side plate 0 is formed with a recess to receive a portion of the slide in the manner indicated in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 both the piston and abutment are closed, and if steam or other motive fluid 'is admitted at X the piston will travel in the direction indicated by the arrow, steam being exhausted at Y. Just before the piston reaches the abutment the slide R will be shifted laterally to the opposite position to that shown in Fig. 2, and at the same time the two slides a (a will be moved apart, so that when the piston passes the abutment the part 1 of the piston (shown in Fig. 2) will be in position to pass through the opening indicated by the dotted lines 3 in Fig. 2. The part 2 of the piston having passed into the recess 0 will be out of line with the slide (2 and hence no interference would ensue. It is obvious that the parts may be very quickly moved and that a portion of the piston is at all times presented to the direct action of the live steam, only a portion of the entire surface of the piston being withdrawn in order to allow it to pass the abutment. Thus both the exhaust and admission ports may be placed close to the abutment. The annular chamber may be made of any desired depth, as there is no radial movement to either the piston or the abutment. It may be made of the desired width, as only a very slight movement need be given to the sliding parts, because the opening which it is necessary to form in the abutment for the passage of the piston is, as shown, only about one-third of the total width of the piston.

I claim as my invention 1. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a drum mounted to rotate within the cylinder and having an annular chamber surrounding it in which the piston moves, a piston having a laterallysliding gate and an abutment in the cylinder also containing a laterally-sliding gate, for the purpose specified.

2. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a drum rotating within the cylinder and having an annular chamber surrounding it in which the piston moves, a laterally-sliding gate .within the piston, an abutment and two laterally-sliding gates in the abutment.

3. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a drum rotating within the casing and having an annular chamber surrounding it in which the piston moves, a piston carried by the drum comprising a frame and a laterally-sliding gate within the frame and an abutment mounted in the casing and comprising a frame and laterally-sliding gates within the frame.

4:. In a rotary engine, the combination of a casing, a drum within the casing, comprising a hub and annular flanges projecting from the periphery of the hub, an annular chamber around the hub and within the flanges, a piston carried by the hub and having a laterallysliding portion between the flanges and an abutment mounted in the casing and having sliding portions between the flanges of the drum, for the purpose specified.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination of a casing, a drum rotating within the casing and having an annular chamber surrounding it in which the piston moves, a piston carried by the drum and having no radial movement but bearing at all times on the inner periphery of the casing, an abutment carried by the casing and hearing at all times upon the periphery of the drum and means for adjusting the piston and abutment to allow the piston to pass through the abutment, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination of a casing, a drum mounted to rotate Within the casing, an annular chamber surrounding the drum in which the casing moves, a piston carried by the drum and having a sliding gate, a stationary cam, a rod connecting the gate With the cam, an abutment mounted in the casing and projecting across the annular chamber,

sliding gates in the abutment, rods connected to these gates, a'cam on the shaft of the drum and operative connections between the cam 5 and the rods whereby the gates are opened and closed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

DANIEL F. SMITH.

WVitnesses:

KATHARINE MACMAHON, WILLIAM A. STAHLIN. 

